• Camping and Turning 3

    It is the day after Wookie’s third birthday, and this morning while we lay in bed listening to the chatter from the boys’ room, Scooby firmly told him, “It’s not your birthday anymore, so you’re not in charge.” It’s tough being five and having your little brother rule the roost for an entire day. Actually, it was more like four days, as we went camping up on Lake Kerr in lieu of a formal birthday party. Equipped with a new…

  • The Myth of the Highest Calling

    When I was trudging through my first pregnancy, what caught me off guard wasn’t all the strange physical changes that overtook my body or the people who felt the liberty to bowl through my carefully constructed arm’s length bubble of comfort to make friendly with their hands on my belly. What caught me off guard was the way my self-perception so drastically changed. The week before I got the double pink line on the pee stick, I’d walked across the…

  • Fostering Grace in the Home

    Not long into marriage my husband broke one of our kitchen glasses and I flipped a lid over it. Reflecting on the incident, I couldn’t help but wonder why I cared so much about that glass – so much that I would railroad Joe and try to shame him for his mistake. That was a turning point for my journey on fostering grace in the home. I’d have to say that the journey has come full-circle as just yesterday, Scooby…

  • A Harrowing Tale of Halloweeny Preschool Chaos

    This morning was an adventure in motherhood to be sure. The details are so mundane, that it’s amazing they had our hearts pumping. The lesson is that as mom, my job is to help my kid grow in confidence while also helping him learn to deal with disappointment and make the most of situations with the resources on hand. Today was the trifecta of preschool chaos: Halloween parade to dress for, last minute face paint to purchase, and throwing the…

  • First Family Camping Trip

    It’s the trip I’ve been waiting on for four years – the one where we go camping with a kid. This past weekend, we went camping with not just one, but two under the age of five. I consider the trip a success because no one got burned, no one had to do or wipe a number two in the woods (other than a diaper change), and it didn’t rain. There were likely many other aspects to rejoice in, but…

  • Treehouse on a Low Budget

    For months now, Scooby has been talking about building a tree house. We’ve had a tree picked out for a year, but no funds to build it. This past weekend, we went to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore center to find some free or cheap lumber so I could build a raised bed for fall and winter lettuces. We ended up finding up to 16′ long 2″x 8″, 10″ and 12″ boards for $1 each. I also sent out a…